Gripping device for rotaries



Jan. 17, 1928.

w. c. TROUT GRIPPING DEVICE FOR ROTARIES Filed Sept. 27, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet l W C ,TYO U t jwww toz I @Mornu;

Jan. 17, 1923.

1,656,456 W. C. TROUT GRIPPING DEVICE FOR ROTARIES Filed Sept. 27, 19262 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES WALTER C. TROUT, OF LUFKIN, TEXAS.

Gmrrmo DEVICE ron. ao'rnm s.

Application filed September 27, 1928. Serial No. 137.918.

My invention relates to gripping devices to be em loyed upon the rotarytable for holding the pipe employed 1n well drilling.

In drilling wells by the rotary system of drilling, it has becomecustomaryto em lo a hollow drill rod, the upper end of w 1c is grippedby a device upon the rotary table and held non-rotably relative to thetable. The upper end of the drill stem is ordinarily called the griefstem or Kelley joint. It is made with polygonal sides or with groovescut in the stem so that it may interfit with the gripping device on therotary table.

It is an object of my invention to prov de a gripping means for thegrief stem which will allow a free vertical movement of the said griefstem relative to the gripping means, but will prevent relative rotationbe tween the two devices.

It is a further object to construct the gripping means so that it may beadjustable for different sizes of grief stem, and also so that it may beadjusted for wear. It is also desired that the device be particularlystrong and simple in construction, and economical to manufacture.

Referring to the drawing herewith, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one formof the invention, certain parts being broken aw? in horizontal sectionfor greater clearness. ig 2- is a side elevation of the gripping devicewith certain parts broken away for greater.

clearness. Fig. 3 is a top plan view similar to that shown in Fig. 1illustrating a slightly different embodiment, and Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of the device shown in Fig. 3. Like numerals of referencedesignate like parts in all views.

In carrying out the invention, it is to be understood that the rollersupon the gripping device may be arranged to gri a square grief stem, ormay be arrange so that the periphery of the rollers will conform to theshape of the grief stem, as in the form shown in Fi s. 1 and 2 where thegrief stem is understoo to be cross shaped in section. Furthermore, itis to be understood that the body of the gripping device in eitherembodiment may be made integral or of two sections held together byclamping means.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a gripping device, the body 1 of which is ofone integral block or castin This block is tubular and circular in s apeat its lower end and is tapered at 2 to fit within the usual taperedseat of the rotary table. Above the tapered end the device is squared at3 to fit the upper end of the opening in the rotary and be thus held torotate with the rotary table.

The upper end of the block is formed with two opposite upwardlyprojecting sup ports 4, extending from one side to the other of theblock and having their central inner faces cut away at 5 to allow thefree passage of the grief stem through the block. These two supports 4furnish a mounting for the gripping rollers 6 which are of such lengthas to fit between the two'supporting members, as shown best in Fig. 1.The said rollers are mounted upon bearing shafts 7 passng centrallythrough the rollers and a bushing sleeve 8 is preferably mounted uponthe shaft within the roller body to provide for wear during theoperation of the device. To lubricate the said bearings an oil duct 9 isformed in the end of each roller shaft leading to a centrally branchingduct 10 by which the lubricant may be fed to the bearings. The outer endof the duct 9 may be closed by a threaded plug indicated at 11 in Fig.1.

It is desired to so mount the rollers 6 that they may be adjustabletoward and away from the grief stem during the operation of the device.Thisoften becomes necessary where there is wear between the rollers andthe brief stem which must be taken up by the adjustment of the rollers,and this is also necessary where grief stems are not all the same size.To make the rollers adjustable, the shafts are formed with a centraleccentric portion 12, thus making it possible by rotating the shaft 7 tothrow the roller sli htly to one side or the other of the axis 0 thebearing shaft 7.

To clamp the shaft 7 in adjustable position, there is a locking bolt 13mounted ad- 'acent the ends of each of the shafts 7 This lt fits withina recess 14 of a size materially larger than the said bolt; said recesshavmg a threaded plug 15 in the lower end thereof to receive the lowerend of said bolt. The sleeve 16 on the bolt 13, is formed to fit againstthe side of the shaft 7 and may be forced tightly against the shaft toprevent further rotation by the tightenin of the bolt 13 within the plug15. Thus it is possible to adjust the pressure of the sleeve 16 againstthe shaft bythe operation of the bolt 13 in an obvious manner.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the body-ofthe block is formed with the tapered lower end 2' and a uared section 3'above the tapered portion. T e body of the block is divideddiametrically on the line 17 and at the ends of the plane of division,lateral ears 18 are formed upon each of the halves of the block, andthese ears are formed with an opening to receive a bolt 19 extendingthrough sa:d ears and ada ted to clamp the same together by means 0 nuts20.

To further assist in clamping the two halves of the block together,recesses 21 are formed in opposite sides of the s uared head 3' so as toallow the passageo a bolt 22 across from one recess to the other, saidbolts being clamped in position by nuts 23.

The rollersfi' in this embodiment are c lindrical with the opposite endsbeve ed slightly, as is shown in the drawing. Each roller is mountedbetween supporting members 24 upon shafts 7'. Said'shafts are supportedat their ends in the supports 24 and ma be made eccentric as in theprevious em diment.

In the drawing the said shafts 7 are shown as held against rotation byset screws 25 extending vertically downward through the sup ortlngmembers 24 to contact with the sha s at each end thereof.

In the modification it is apparent that the rollers may be adjusted tovarious sizes of grief stem by the means of the eccentric shafts 7 or byspacing the two halves of the block slightly a art by means of spacinmembers when the two halves of the bloc are clamped in osition.

In the use 0 this device the assembled block may be fitted about thegrief stem and may be dropped into the seat made therefor in the rotarytable and will grip the pipe securely so that it will be compelled torotate with the rotation of the table. The rollers will allow the stemto move vertically thereon so as to accommodate the downward progress ofthe drill during its operation, but will hold it securel in such mannerthat it may be rotated. T e block thus formed is simple in constructionand may be employed economically in drilling.

Further objects and advantages thereof will be a parent to those skilledin the art without further description.

What I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: 1

1. A ri ping device for rotaries com ris ing a b oci: squared to fit arotar tab e, a

plurality of supports thereon, sha ts in said supports, eccentricbearings on said shafts, a sin le roller on each of said bearin s, theperipheries of said rollers being shaped to fit against a grief stem,and means to secure said shafts in adjusted sition.

2. A gripping device or rotaries compris ing a block adapted to fitnon-rotatably in a rotary table, four rollers each mounted rotatably ona separate shaft on said block, eccentric hearings on said shafts, meansto adjust said bear1ngs,and means to lock said shafts in adjustedposition.

3. A ipping device for rotaries comprising a tu ular block shaped to fitnonrotatably within a rotar table, said block being divided'longituinally into two parts, means to clamp said parts to ther rollers suported on shafts on s'aig bloclr, said sha ts having eccentric bearinwhereby the rotative movement of said shifts will adjust said rollerslaterally. a v

4. A ri ping device for rotariescomprising a tuhu ar block squared onits upper end to fit within a rotary table, said block being divideddiagonally of said upper end, means to clamp the parts of said blocktogether, rollers mounted on said block and means to adjust said rollersin the manner described.

5. A gripping device for rotaries compris ing a tubular block having itsupper end squared to fit within a rotary table, supporting membersthereon, shafts rotatable in said supports, eccentric bearings on saidshafts, rollers on said bearings, and means to fix said shafts inadjusted position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature this 22nd day ofSeptember, A. D. 1926.

WALTER C. TROUT.

